The Bamberg Psalter

The Bamberg Psalter bears one of only 18 surviving horn bindings from the Middle Ages. A sheet of parchment, illuminated in bright colours, is covered with thin sheets of horn. Narrow strips of silver, fixed with little nails, frame the individual pictures. The panel in the centre features Jesus seated on a rainbow throne after
his ascension to Heaven. He is surrounded with a mandorla, an almond-shaped, halo-like frame that typically encircles Christ in traditional Christian Art. Jesus raises
his right hand in the gesture of the Hand of God (Manus Dei), a sign of
benediction, here given to the readers of the Psalter as they
open the book. His left hand clutches a book, which resembles the Psalter
itself. Enclosed in four circles that surround
Christ in a cross-like configuration are the symbols of the four Evangelists: The Eagle of John, the (Winged)
Ox of Luke, the Man (or Angel) of Matthew, and the (Winged) Lion of Mark
(clockwise from top center).

Two angels fill the upper two corners of the front cover. They are most likely seraphim or cherubim, angels of the highest order, because they each have three pairs of brightly-colored wings.

The archangels Michael (left) and Gabriel (right) guard the bottom two corners. Michael stabs a dragon at his foot with a lance. Gabriel raises an orb in his right hand and a lily scepter in his left.

The Psalter starts with a calendar, comprising a page for each month of the year. Each page is decorated with two medaillons which show the typical agricultual work (above) and the star sign of the Zodiac (below). In the calendar, the days of remembrance of saints are noted, including some regional saints. Golden ink marks the most important feasts. The Roman numerals on the right-hand margin served for the calculation of lunar phases. This opening shows the months of June and July. June is represented by a farmer with a plough and the zodiac sign of the Scorpion, July is represented by a farmer harvesting the hay and the zodiac sign of the Lion.

Under the entry for the 5th of June, a note has been added about a crime which occured in the year 1245. It reads: "Gebehardus iunior comes de Hirzperch dormiens occiditur": Gebhard, Earl of Hirschberg was murdered in his sleep.

The first two illustrations show the Annunciation to Mary (fol. 7v) as well as the Nativity of Christ (fol. 8r). Some parts of the picture extend beyond the frame, which gives the scene more expressiveness.

fol. 7v:
The archangel Gabriel is depicted with green and red wings and a multi-coloured tunic. As the messenger angel, he carries a lily-scepter in his left hand.

Gabriel extends two fingers of his right hand to indicate that he is announcing his message to Mary. She raises both arms as a sign of fear and astonishment at Gabriel's sudden appearance.

fol. 8r:
Mary is lying-in after childbirth. Following Byzantine artistic conventions, she rests on a raised bed or couch. Jesus is clearly the centre of the miniature. Joseph is glancing at the scene above,

where two shepherds are shown with the messenger angel telling them about the birth of Christ. The finger of the angel as well as the hand of one shepherd point to Jesus in the center. The shepherd on the far right gestures to both the infant and off-frame presumably to the heavens.

The next opening shows the Adoration of the three Magi and the Presentation of Christ.
In both scenes the movement comes from the left. The Magi present their gifts to Mary and Jesus, and later, Mary presents her son Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem.

fol. 8v:
The infant Jesus is sitting on Mary's lap. His posture and clothes make him seem already grown-up when giving his benediction to the Magi. In his left hand, he grasps a scroll, an allusion to his prescient knowledge of being the Messiah.

fol. 9r:
Mary is holding Jesus as they meet Simeon, the High Priest who is to perform the purification rite. Simeon bows down to the baby Jesus, who again extends a hand in blessing. Simeon raises both hands upwards in reverence and acceptation of Jesus as the Messiah sent by God.

The last illustration of the first group shows the Baptism of Christ (fol. 9v). Jesus is standing in front of John the Baptist in the River Jordan. This scene marks the end of the sequence of images about the childhood and youth of Christ.

On the facing page (fol. 10r), the first psalm is marked with a large inital. An ornately decorated B is the first letter of Psalm 1 in the Latin Vulgate version, thus opening the first of three groups of the 50 psalms. The verse reads: Beatus vir qui non abiit ("Blessed is the man that walketh not…").

fol. 9v
Jesus is standing in the river Jordan, unclothed and covered by the water up to his chest. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descends from the heavens, flies down from the parted clouds and perches on the cruciform halo around Christ’s head.

fol. 10r:
Inside upper lobe of the initial B, King David, the author of the Psalms, is seated playing the lyre.

The musicians in the lower lobe of the letter accompany David on the viol and a later form of the lyre.

The second group of illustrations begins with the Wedding at Cana (fol. 60v), followed by the Christ's Temptation by Satan (fol. 61r).

The chronological order of the events is reversed, because in illustrated medieval books of gospels the temptation is normally shown on the Sunday of Lent.

fol. 60v:
Several events are shown simultaneously here. First, Mary tells Jesus that there is not enough wine for all guests. He then performs his first miracle, turning water into wine. Afterwards, the host (right) instructs his servants to fill water in six stone jugs. Another servant brings a golden vessel.

fol. 61r:
Jesus is fasting in the desert, while Satan bends down from the top of the page to tempt him.
Christ remains composed and rejects the temptation with his right hand. In his left hand, he clutches a book in order to demonstrate that he remains steadfast in his prayers and studious devotion to God.

The next opening shows the Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem (fol. 61v) and the Washing of the Feet of the Disciples (fol. 62r).

fol. 61v:
Christ enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on a donkey, followed by the apostle Peter. People lay down palm leaves and cloaks in his path, while two adolescents climb up a palm tree. Jesus extends his right hand in benediction.
Compared to Jesus and Peter, the other people depicted are drastically reduced in size.

fol.62r:
Christ is featured in the centre of the miniature. He washes the feet of Peter, who is shown conventionally as an older man with greying hair and beard.
The other two younger, unidentifiable figures in the scene stand for the other disciples present at the last supper.

The end of this circle of miniatures is the Arrest of Christ (fol. 62v). Two scenes are presented. The upper part shows the arrest of Jesus, the lower scene depicts Peter with a sword attacking Malchus.

The other page bears an initial showing the young David and his fight against the giant Goliath (fol. 63r).

fol. 62v:
Almost the entire frame is filled with figures, making this miniature one of the most action-packed in the Psalter.
Judas kisses Christ to indicate to the soldiers whom they are to arrest.

Judas and Jesus are the two figures closest to each other. Only one contour line separates the neck of Judas and the shoulder of Jesus.

Peter wields a sword and appears to raise it just before cutting off Malchus’s ear, according to the Gospel of John.

Malchus, the servant of a Jewish High Priest, cowers and retreats in fear to the bottom right-hand corner.

fol. 63r:
Goliath is standing in the centre of the initial. He is armed with a spear, sword and shield. The background is filled with multi-coloured tendrils.

fol. 63r:
A winged dragon forms the descender of the letter Q. Tendrils grow from his head, and his tail is rolled up.

In the right-hand corner of the initial, David is swinging his catapult, which extends beyond the frame.

Two illuminations show the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) (fol. 115v) on the third day after his crucifixion and the Ascension to Heaven (fol. 116r) forty days after his resurrection. Jesus ascends to the Heavens to be seated at the right hand of God the Father.

fol. 115v:
Christ rises triumphantly from a sarcophagus whose slab has already been removed and makes the sign of benediction with his right hand. In his left hand, he carries a staff known as the “Resurrection Cross”, which is the shaft of a long, flowing banner, a symbol of his power and victory over death.

Christ steps on a sleeping soldier. The fearful watcher in the middle, who is hunched over and holds a sword in his lap, demonstrates the skills of the painter in portraying three variations of a seated position.

fol. 116r:
The upper part of the miniature takes place in heaven. Jesus is shown, still bearing his resurrection banner, in a mandorla, ascending into the clouds. He looks upwards in anticipation, with a strong expression unlike other contemporary depictions. Two angels lift him up to the sky.

In the lower part of the miniature, Mary and three of the disciples look up in awe. Mary and Peter raise their hands not only in fear and astonishment, but also in prayer. The disciple on the far right is holding a book which symbolizes the teaching, evangelizing, and preaching of the gospels that would follow this event.

The last two miniatures of the Bamberg Psalter show the events on Pentecost (fol. 116v) and the Last Judgment (fol. 117r).

fol. 116v:
This miniature depicts the Virgin Mary in the middle of the circle of apostles.

The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descends from the top line of the frame as the apostles and Mary raise their hands in prayer. No tongues of flame or rays of light are shown in the miniature, unlike the most other illustration of Pentecost.

fol. 117r:
Christ is raised on a throne in the centre of the miniature, spreading his hands out and holding a sword – a symbol of judgment – in his mouth. Two angels carry the Instruments of the passion - the crown of thorns and the whips used to flagellate Christ. The open bleeding wounds the crucifixion left on Christ’s body remind the viewer of the suffering that their sins have caused.

Beneath Christ, two two groups of souls rise from the dead. Their progressive resurrection is depicted by two open sarcophagi with two naked, newly-risen souls climbing out at the very bottom of the image, and the actual judgement happening right above.
In both groups, representatives of the ruling class and aristocracy as well as the clergy are shown.

fol. 32v:
Here, each verse begins on a new line and is marked with a small golden initial.

fol. 33r:
Full-page ornamental initials in gold divide the psalms into eight parts for the liturgy on the individual days of the week (morning and evening service).

The corners of the back cover are inhabited by four prophets of the Old Testament, who had presaged the perpetual virginity of Mary and the coming of Christ as the Messiah. Above, Aaron is shown with the blooming staff on the left and Isaiah with a plant on the right.

Below, Ezekiel is depicted with the closed door in the form of a gate tower on the left, and Solomon with a sealed well on the right.